Wire-and-picket-fence building and repairing device



' 3 Sheets-Sheet l. M. STEPHENS '8u S. 0. KOONS. l WIRE AND PICKET` FENCE BUILDING AND REPAIRING DEVICEJ lN0. 516,237. Patented Mar. 13, 189,4.

(No Model.)

(No Model.)

M. STEPHENS & vS. O. KOGNS. WIND AND PIGKDI'FBNGD BUILDING AND DDPAIRING DEVICE.

No. 516,237. Patented Mar. 13,1894.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No'MoaeI.) a sheets-'sheet s.

M. STEPHENS Sz S. 0. KOONS. WIRE AND PIGKET EENGE BUILDING AND EEPAIRING DEVICE.

N0. 516,237. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORGAN STEPHENS AND SIDNEYO. KOONS, OF GILSON, ILLINOIS.

WlRE-AND-PICKET-FENC BUILDING AND REPIRING DEVICE.

vSIPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,237, dated March 13,1894.

Y' Application filed October 24, 1893. Serial No. 488,995. (No model.)

For these purposesv it consists in combina? tions and constructions hereinafter described and made Ithe subject matter of claimshereto appended.

Mechanism embodyingthe'` constructive forms of our fence building device, showing the mutual relationship and combination of its several parts, and also so much of a Wire and picket fence in process of construction as will fully illustrate one of its methods of operation, are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire and picket fence in process of construction, and of our building device as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail, showing an enlarged sectional elevation of the tension device, in the line 2-2, in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a detaii showing an enlarged sectional plan inthe line 3 3, in Fig. 2 Fig. 4, a detail, an enlarged sectional elevation in the line 4, 4., in Figs. 3 and 1; Fig. 5, an enlarged perspective of parts shown at Fig. 1, showing the two upper wire strands twisted, ready for the insertion of a slat, and the twister in position ready to commence twisting the lower strand; Fig. 6, a plan of thewire twisting tool, withits handle and slat spacing gage in sectional plan; Fig.

7, a perspective of same parts shown at Fig.

, 5, but showing the lower wire strand also twisted, and also showing a slat being inserted; Fig. 8, a side elevation of the wire' twisting tool, its slat gage plate, and section of two strand wires engaged thereby; Fig. 9, an enlarged perspective ofl part of a fence, and of the wire twister with its auxiliary bail as applied thereto in raising or in removing a slat for any purpose, and vfor the insertion of a substitute slat; Fig. 10, a side elevation of the twister audits auxiliary bail, and of part of one fencey slat, and a sectional elevation of the two wires of a strand.

The same reference lettersindicate the same or corresponding parts in the several i figures of the drawings.

The iirst operations in the construction of our fence are illustrated at Fig. 1 of the drawings-the commencement being from the ordinary braced post A. The post Bis set some distance fromthe post A, and has a block C removably fixed thereto by bolts c or other fastenings. Other posts, D, are located between the posts' A and B, as maybe thought knecessary to stay and stiften the completed fence by nailing or otherwise fixing an adjacent fence slat E thereto, as is common.

` Each longitudinal strand F o f fence wire is preferably formed of two single wires f, f, but,

it will be evidentthat a greater number of single wires may be used in each strand. The number of strands of wire used may be varied as desired. In the drawings three strands are shown, each of which is fixed at one end to the postA. Each strand F of wire passes through the tension mechanism G, hereinafterv described, and which ismounted on the block O, and thence extends to the two spools H, each of which spools carries one of the single wires f. The spools H are mounted or journaled each inta stand or frame h, which will permit of the spool-revolving to unwind the wires therefrom-the two spools of one strand wire only are shown, as they clearly and sufficiently illustrate the manner of mounting spools'of wire for supplying single wires for Vany desired number of strands F of wire.

The tension mechanism G consists of abolt g, with an outer end portion g preferably square in its ci'oss section, or of such other cross sectional form as to have angles between its multi-sides. The boltl g is held inthe .9. block C by a nut g2. The bolt g is located be'- ioo nearer in line with or farther from in line with the'bolts g8, whereby the two wires f passing under thebolts g3 and over thebolt g, as shown plainest at Figs. 2 and 3, can be clamped more or less taut as may be found necessary in giving the proper tension to the wires, so that they will be held with a yielding force which will be suicient to bold them against sliding too freely while the wire strands are being twisted, but which at the same time will permit the wires to slide endlong therethrough as they are unwound from the spools, to furnish the increased lengths ot' wires used in twisting the strands to form loops or openings f between the wires fof a strand, for the reception of the slats E.

The wire twister K has two arms or prongs k, see Figs. 5 and 6, at a slightly greater distance apart than the width of the fence slats, so that they willreadily stride such slats. The branches or prongs 7o are united at one end of each by a bar 7c', midlength of which is a screw threaded hole 7a2 into which one end of the handle shank 7c3 is screwed to fix the handle in place. The shank 7c3 has a sleeve or handle 7a4 thereover, between one end of which and the bar 7c is a slat spacing or gage arm 7c5, for spacing the distances apart of the fence slats E. The shank 7c3 is preferably square in its cross section, and is seated in a square aperture in the sleeve or handle 7a4 so that it will rotate with said sleeve or handle, but it may be held from rotation thereon by a through pin. The shank 7c3 passes loosely through the spacing bar 705, and is preferably screwed into the hole 7a2 tightly to hold thespacing bar in a fixed position between the shoulder or lower end of the handle 764 and the bar 7c. It will be evident however that the shank 7c8 and sleeve 7a4 may be integral, and the shank 7c3 either be screw threaded into the hole k2 to secure it thereto as described, or pass through the bar 7c and be secured by a nut on its screw threaded end. Spacing bars may be otherwise mounted on the twister, if preferred, such for instance as arms projecting laterally from the 7.28 projects laterally and outwardly from each prong 7c, on which pivot studs a bail L is pivoted orzhinged, as shown at Figs. 9 and 10. This bail has hook shaped ends, and may be formed in two parts, hinged to each other at Z, or it may be of a single piece of metal, either of which constructions will provide means for separating its ends, for mounting it on the stud pins ks or removing it therefrom in an evident manner. The bailL is an auxiliary, used only for removing, substituting, or raising and lowering slats in position, in a completed fence.

In describing our improved building device, and its operation in building a wire and picket fence, we will assume thata fence has been begun and completed as far as shown at Fig. l, in which the three strands are xed at one end to the beginning post A, and passing over the tension devices on the post B, extend thence to the spools of wire as hereinbefore described, several slats have been fixed in place in the wire strands, and one slat nailed to a reinforce postD. As shown at Figs. l and 5, a slat E has been inserted a distance in advance of the last fixed slat E2 equal to the space between alternate slats, and measured or gaged by the spacing bar 705. A ring M carried on both the upper and lower strands of wire will by slightly clamping the wires of each strand F, closely in advance of the slat E', hold said slat E' in position while the strands are being twisted between said slat and the slat E2. The twister at Fig. 8 and the lower twister at Figs. land 5 are shown in positions asI when placed onV the wiresf, f, to begin intel-twisting them with each other, and as shown at Figs. 1 and 5 when so placed the spacing arm or bar 705 may by being shorter than the distance between the slats E', E2, be used as a spacing gage, and thus permit of the slat E approaching the slat E2 as theintertwisting progresses. The pointed tapering hook shaped spuro can be readily and quickly inserted between the wires of the strands, and being of tapered form can be easily forced between said wires to spread them apart when necessary, so that pickets can be inserted through the loops; and the distance between the point of each spur 7156 and the outer end of the prong 7c which carries it, is such that when the wires ot' a strand happen to be more than an ordinary distance apart, from any cause, they will contact with or grasp such wires. These are great advantages in operating the device rapidly, as they render it effective without any aid by hand or otherwise in properly contacting the wires with the twisting device.

The spacing arm 7a5 may be full length of the space required between said slats, and after being used for spacing then be swung around on its pivot, as shown by dotted lines at the middle strand, to permit of the slat-s approaching as the wires f, f, are intertwisted. By turning the twisters around, in the direction shown by the arrows at Figs. 5 and 8, the wires f, f of each strand will be intertwisted between each prong 7c and the adjacent slat, as shown best at Fig. 7, but between the prongs 7c of each twister the wires will not be intertwined or twisted. When the wires f, f

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of each strand are intertwisted as last dei scribed, a slat E3 can then be inserted, as shown at Fig. 7, by simply passing it end wise, downwardly through the loops or openings f between the wires f, f of each strand. When the slat is insertedLby turning the twisters slightly backward they may be removed, and the same operation then repeated, by sliding the rings on the strand wires, and inserting another slat E. There is one twister for each wire strand, and all of the twisters are applied at one time, and the twisters are given a single turn alternately until the twisting is completed. At Figs. l and 5 the lower twister is shown as not yet operated, merely to illustrate how the twister is tirst applied to the wires. Fig. 7 shows the correct position of the lower twister and the wires it operates upon, when the upper twisters and the wires they respectively operate upon are in the positions and conditions shown at Figs. l, 5 and 7. When a section of fence is completed to the post B, another post B is then fixed in place at a proper distance therefrom, the spools of wire then mounted beyond it, the block O then removed from the previous post B to this subsequent or newly placed post B, Vand the strand wires again placed in the tension mechanism, and the operation of placing and fixing slats in position as hereinbefore described is then proceeded with. It will be evident that our twister can be used to make wire and picket fences by intertwisting the wires of a strand at oneplace, in advance of the last picket inserted one at a time inran ordinary manner, instead of two' at a time as hereinbefore described. y

For removing a broken or damaged slat E,

and inserting a substitute slat, or for raising a slat to permit hogs or other small animals passing through the fence beneath said raised slat, we use the twister with the bail L attached thereto, as hereinbefore described. The twisterand bail being placed on the wires of a strand, as shown at Fig.A 9 by the upper twister, the bail may then be turned upward somewhat at its handle end, as shown at the middle wire strand at same ligure, and will slightly separate or open the wires f, f of the strand, and thereby loosen their hold on the slat. A twister with bail attachment being so applied to each wire strand, the adjacent slat can be readily raised or withdrawn by sliding it upwardly as shown at same figure,

and another slat substituted therefor if desired,orbe let remainin its elevated position,

for the passage of the smaller class of animals, such as chickens, hogs, and others.

By first removing a slat or picket with the twister and its bail attachment, as described, the twister with the bail in place can be used, as hereinbefore described, to further intertwist the wires adjacent to the removed picket, and thereby shorten the strands, and by thus removing such number ot' slats or pickets as 2. In combination with the fence-wire strand twister, comprising connected prongs k having hooks k6, and an adjustable handle',aslat l spacing bar, substantially as described.

3. In combination withthe fence-Wire strand twister, comprising connected prongs la having hooks 7c, and studs los, the bail L,'pivoted on the studs les, substantially as described.

l In testimony whereof we aix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MORGAN STEPHENS. SIDNEY o. KooNs.

Witnesses:

W. E. HOFFMAN, H. M. RICHARDS. 

